LOS ANGELES — Netflix’s monster animated hit “KPop Demon Hunters” ruled the North American box office with a special singalong event, raking in $18 million in a first victory in theaters for the streaming giant, industry estimates showed Sunday.
Netflix refuses to report ticket sales data, so the amount is based on projections from rival studios and exhibitors, but it is a huge showing for the famously cinema-averse streamer, whose film has already topped music charts and smashed viewing records.
Released in June, “KPop Demon Hunters” is already Netflix’s most-watched animated offering.
The weekend singalongs at theaters in five countries were expected to draw legions of fans ready to watch the tale of a Kpop girl group that protects the world from demons with their music—and belt out the movie’s catchy bangers.
“This weekend, a streaming production made for viewing at home is connecting on a level that theatrical hits rarely reach,” said analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.
